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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · pound · swing · wave · shower · current

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. current — electric
  3. swing — to play on
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. current — happening now
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. pound — a weight
  16. club — a group
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com